Trash

The bill would ban food providers and permittees at County of Hawaiʻi facilities from using disposable polystyrene or plastic containers and utensils.

The transfer of Lahaina wildfire debris to its final disposal site is now complete. The milestone marks the close of the cleanup process and a meaningful step for the community after the 2023 wildfire.

Commercial businesses are invited to dispose of unused pesticide products through a resumed state program. The last drop-off events brought in nearly 40,000 lbs. of pesticides.

Mafalda de Freitas, the megaplastics program director at the Center for Marine Debris Research at Hawaiʻi Pacific University, spoke to HPRʻs Maddie Bender about the plastic recycling research facility and the uncertain road ahead.

The transfer of approximately 400,000 tons of Lahaina fire debris began in June and is now over 60% complete. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports that the operation is progressing smoothly, with the work expected to continue through November.

Officials say good progress has been made in transporting fire debris to the Central Maui Landfill, thanks to community patience and support.

Fifty trucks will spend five months hauling Lahaina wildfire debris to a landfill in the center of Maui starting next Monday. Maui County says there's enough debris to fill five football fields five stories high.

The City and County of Honolulu is waiting for the governor to decide whether he will let a state bill take effect that would further narrow site options for a new Oʻahu landfill. If the law goes into effect, the city says it will likely extend its operations at Waimanalo Gulch in West Oʻahu.

State lawmakers passed hundreds of bills this week. That’s a lot to keep track of, so with the legislative session over as of Friday evening, HPR is narrowing it down to the important bills we’ve been tracking.

A group of Maui volunteers is on a mission to reduce the volume of unused clothing getting dumped in the landfill, especially in the wake of overflowing wildfire donations. HPR’s Catherine Cluett Pactol joined them as they took a day to weed through the mountain of clothes.